Wild
by ThatKidWithTheRabbit
Summary: Many decades have passed since the fall of the Rider and king, Galbatorix. The dragons have recovered their numbers, yet magic remains on the decline. The spirits grow increasingly agitated, and light becomes a liability.
1. The Amazing Tobias

-Wild-

-Chapter1: The Amazing Tobias-

"Of _course_ we're the one's moving!"

"The sun revolves around _us_. Everyone knows that. Stop being silly and get back to work."

Tobias folded his arms, resting an elbow on his broom. He frowned at his twin, tapping a finger against his arm. "If the sun moved, there'd be a fire trail in the sky. There's not. So...?"

Elizabeth looked up at Tobias from her spot on the floor. From where she knelt, the sun made her brother's gravity-defying hair look like a brilliant, half-formed halo. Her hair was wavy and fluffy as well, but at least it stayed down. ...Mostly.

Her dark brown eyes narrowed in exasperation. Tobias often went on tangents like this, rambling on about nonsense. The only difference this time was that she had made the mistake of telling her doppelganger that he was wrong before he had finished.

"Well?" said Tobias.

"You're right," Elizabeth said flatly. "Ever so brilliant. Why do I ever doubt you?"

Tobias gave a smug chuckle, completely missing Elizabeth's sarcasm. "And that's where wind comes from," he said. It took Elizabeth a moment to realize that he was finishing his train of thought from before she'd interrupted him. "But..." Tobias scratched his chin thoughtfully. "The wind stops sometimes. Maybe we're stopping, too..."

"Toby," Elizabeth said with a sigh, "We have a roof over our heads. We're fed nicely. Clothed nicely. But that only continues so long as we perform our duties. If master Tristian comes by again and sees us slacking off for the fourth time today, he'll tell Lord Kharlan. Lord Kharlan will assume we no longer wish to live here, and we'll be back on the streets." She paused. "I'm not going back to the streets, Toby."

Tobias waved a hand, dismissing her worry. "Oh, c'mon. That was years ago!"

"It was _three_ years ago," Elizabeth said sternly, staring her brother in the eye. His smile slowly faded, and he returned her sober gaze. "I'm not going back to the streets," Elizabeth repeated, turning her attention to scrubbing the floor.

Elizabeth relaxed a bit as Tobias followed suit with his sweeping. They went on in silence, the only sounds in the stone-brick hall coming from their brush and broom. Elizabeth relished the quiet.

Tobias came to an abrupt stop. "There's fire under everything, y'know."

Elizabeth gave a loud groan of frustration, slamming her brush on the floor.

"Go down far enough? Fire," Tobias continued, ignoring her. "Which means..." Toby held his chin, deep in thought. His eyes lit up as he gasped at a realization. "We live on a baby star egg!"

Elizabeth was left dumbfounded. "...What?"

Tobias moved his arms around enthusiastically, making various shapes with his hands and barely keeping hold of his broom as he explained. "The sun's a big star. The sun is made of fire. There's fire under everything. Everything surrounds it, like a shell. Therefore, we live on a baby star egg!"

Elizabeth responded with a slow blink.

"But fire consumes everything..." Tobias continued. "So in order for it to hatch..." His eyes went wide in horror as he came to his conclusion. "It has to _eat everything!_ And we live on the everything!" Tobias bent down and grabbed Elizabeth by the shoulders. "I don't wanna be around when that happens, Lizzy! Burning _hurts!_"

"Oh, for the love of..." said Elizabeth, slapping her palm to her face. "That isn't going to ha-"

"I'll call him Michael," said Tobias calmly, staring off at nothing and releasing Elizabeth. "And we'll be best pals."

Elizabeth stared at him, bewildered by the sudden shift in his tone.

Tobias stood upright again with a satisfied smile. "That way, he'll feel bad about burning us up and he'll go somewhere else!" He paused for only a moment before his smile faded. "No, wait. That won't work; we'll end up like the moon."

Elizabeth stopped trying to follow her brother into his madness. She gave an absent-minded nod and tried to focus on her work. _Just smile and nod, Lizzy_, she told herself._ Smile and nod._

Tobias rested his chin on his broom as he thought aloud. "Birds fly on warm air. Warm air comes from the baby star. If there's no baby star, there's no warm air. Which means clouds'll fall outta the sky. The inside of the world-shell will get filled with cloud water. But it'll be too far down for anyone or anything to reach. Then everything'll get all dead and waxy, just like the moon." Tobias sighed and shrugged. "I guess we just have to get burnt up."

Elizabeth raised a brow as Tobias knelt and patted the ground. "It's okay, Michael," he told the ground. "We're still pals."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Toby, I love you, but you're clearly insane."

He beamed at her. "I'm clearly _amazing_," Tobias corrected.


	2. An Important Announcement

-Wild-

-Chapter 2: An Important Announcement-

Tobias grumbled as he beat the foul-smelling stain from the empty mattress. The boy didn't like it when he and his sister were made to separate. It wasn't that he didn't like talking to himself; he simply preferred her company. That, and fewer people stared when she was around.

Steward Tristian had had enough of Tobias's inability to focus on his tasks, and so this separation was his punishment. But the laundresses didn't exactly trust Tobias to handle their lord's clothing, so he was made to wash everything else.

To add insult to injury, Tristian had assigned Elizabeth to the kitchens. Tobias had been banished from the kitchens over a year ago: He'd made the best damn meat pie Lord Kharlan had ever tasted, and the head cook didn't like that.

Tobias paused as he massaged his sore, pruned hands. He would have given anything to be there, instead. "It's not my fault they're idiots," he muttered, bitterly. "Calling stuff 'stew' when it's clearly soup. Stupid bastards..."

A warm wind blew across the palace courtyard, reminding Tobias of the one reason he hated Dauth: the hellish humidity. Being a Surdan native, Tobias was no stranger to its blistering heat. But the walled city of Dauth sat on the eastern banks of an estuary, which was fed by the Jiet river. There were days when the humidity was downright choking.

He also hated Dauth's winters. Winter in general needed to die.

The obnoxious ringing of a bell made its way across the courtyard, ushering a relative quiet as an announcement was made. Tobias pointed an ear towards the crier and strained to hear.

"...come early! All may attend! Those who wish for a chance to touch the eggs should gather in the square tomorrow, midmorn! I repeat..."

"Already?!" Tobias exclaimed, and was angrily shushed by those around him. The crier continued, but Tobias was no longer listening. He was too busy daydreaming about dragons.

Every few years, the Riders sent out a pair of enchanted dragon eggs by way of a group of bearers. The bearers would then ferry the eggs across the lands of Alagaësia, Surda included, stopping at the various cities and settlements to allow the eggs to be touched. The eggs' enchantment would only allow it to hatch once touched by one the dragon within deemed worthy.

Tobias never quite understood how a dragon could judge someone before it even hatched. Sure, dragons were quite possibly the most magical creatures in the land, but that didn't change the fact that they _weren't born yet_.

Tobias eventually snapped out of his reverie when he realized everyone had resumed their activities. "Wait," he said to the laundress next to him, "Why are they so early? I thought they weren't gonna be here for two weeks!"

The woman shrugged. "He didn't say," she said, referring to the crier.

"I heard they're being strict this time 'round," chimed in a housemaid, dropping a load of linens beside Tobias. "It doesn't help that the egg bearers are all elves. You know how _they_ are."

"What does that matter when the dragon ultimately has the final say?" said the laundress.

The housemaid gave a huff. "If the egg is only exposed to a, ahem, _certain sort_ of people..."

"They're only being cautious!" the laundress retorted. "They don't want another like the old Rider king, is all!"

Tobias noticed the glaring hatred in the housemaid's eyes. "They're _elves_, dear," the woman said, turning sharply as she began to walk off. "Don't be so naive."

Tobias didn't get a chance to see Elizabeth until late that evening, in theovercrowded servants' chamber. As they and those around them got ready for bed, the conversation returned to Tobias' mind. "Maybe blue eyes," Tobias thought aloud. "Nobody has blue eyes."

Elizabeth paused in the midst of preparing their shared pallet. She blinked at him, a puzzled and rather concerned expression on her face. Tobias ignored this. "Or maybe dainty feet..." Tobias examined his feet for a moment, then his sister's. "They'll skip right over us, then," he said with disappointment.

"What...?"

"Uh...I mean, you have pretty feet and all, but..."

Elizabeth rubbed her temple. "Toby, what are you talking about?"

Tobias huffed in irritation, throwing his hands up. "The sorts the bearers show eggs to! Eesh!"

It took Elizabeth a moment to catch on. "Oh!" she said with a chuckle of relief. "The dragon eggs... Of course."

"Yes," said Tobias, putting his fists on his hips. "Of course. What else would I be talking about?"

Elizabeth raised a brow. "Considering that we were talking about _supper..._" she said, flatly.

"No one cares about that anymore," Tobias said with a wave. "The thing's eggs now!"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was a snicker from a few of the other young servants. Several of the adults simply shook their heads. There was a distant mutter of, "I suppose _someone_ has to deal with him..."

Tobias ignored all of this. He finished readying the tiny mattress in his sister's stead, evening out the meager amount of straw within. "If they're here already, they're skipping everybody," he reasoned. "Nobody has blue eyes and tiny feet. No ugly Riders allowed."

"I don't think-"

"Have _you_ seen any ugly Riders?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Have you ever seen a dwarf or urgal with tiny feet?"

"Hmm.." Tobias thought a moment before responding. "Nope."

"And yet there are urgalan and dwarven Riders," said Elizabeth. "Meaning-"

"I haven't seen _any _urgals or dwarves," Tobias finished.

"What?!" Elizabeth exclaimed, barely keeping her volume in check. "There were ambassadors here last week!"

"Huh... I thought that was just a short, hairy guy and a giant."

Elizabeth stared at him in utter disbelief. "A giant...with ram's horns?"

Tobias shrugged. "Devil-giant, then."

"Lords above..."

Elizabeth sat on the pallet and rested her head in her hands. Toby sat on his knees beside her. He hugged her, slowly rocking back and forth. After a moment, he said, "So... We're goin', right?"

Her answer was sharp and blunt. "No."

"C'mon," Tobias said, poking her cheek. "_Pleeease?_"

"No."

"We could have beds, Lizzy. _Beds. _No Rider sleeps on the floor!"

"No."

"Yummy food, every night..."

"No."

"Havin' a dragon as your best pal..."

"No."

"Why not?!" Tobias said with frustration, releasing his sister.

Elizabeth gave him a sidelong glance. "Because they're _elves_, Toby."

Tobias frowned, unsatisfied. "So? This is a human city."

Elizabeth turned her head, looking Tobias sternly in the eye. "So was Cithri."

Tobias tensed at the mention of the city. Dread clawed at him as the memories threatened to surface. He closed his eyes and shook himself, burying the memories once more.

When Tobias opened his eyes again Elizabeth was watching him with great concern. She took his hand into hers and patted it. "Everything's alright," she told him. "Things are good here. We're very lucky to be in Lord Kharlan's service. And we shouldn't continue to press our luck."

Tobias remained silent, his face blank. Elizabeth gave a weak smile. "Aw," she said as though she were speaking to a toddler. "Did I ruin your night?"

Tobias brightened a bit. "Yes," he responded in mock anger. "And I demand that you kiss it better!" He giggled as Elizabeth grabbed his head gave him an exaggerated kiss on the forehead. And all was right his world, again.

The thin mattress barely provided a barrier against the stone floors, but that was fine. The air was still rather hot, and the cool stones helped with that. Yawning, the twins curled up close together on their tiny pallet, nearly on top of each other, heat be damned. It was how they always slept, and that wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

"G'night, Lizzy," whispered Tobias.

"Good night, Toby," whispered Elizabeth. "Sweet dreams."


	3. Tempting Fate

-Wild-

-Chapter 3: Tempting Fate-

Elizabeth wormed her way through the thickly crowded square. "Toby!" she screamed over the clamor. She had awoken that morning to find her thick-skulled brother absent. She should've known better, really. Since when had a simple 'no' ever been enough?

"TOBY!" she screamed again, louder this time, ignoring the concerned and awkward glances from those around her. They had lived in relative obscurity under Lord Kharlan. It was for the best. _But no,_ she thought to herself, _he just HAS to touch those accursed eggs. He's going to ruin everything! Why doesn't he ever think?!_

Elizabeth spotted Tobias peering between two women, who were too busy chatting to notice him. Elizabeth charged through the crowd towards him, not caring who she bumped into or upset. She gripped her idiot of a brother by the shoulder and roughly spun him around.

Tobias did not seem surprised in the slightest. "'Ello!" he said, grinning. "I was wondering when you'd catch up!"

"You...!" Elizabeth moved as though to strangle the boy, too angry to speak more than she had.

Before she could find the words she needed to viciously scold Tobias for his idiocy, there was a call for quiet from one corner of the square. The voice began to shout introductions and instructions, but Elizabeth didn't care to listen. She eyed the crowd frantically, searching for a gap to escape through. There weren't any.

"Relax," said Tobias, giving her a gentle nudge with his elbow. "What are they gonna do? There's soldiers everywhere!"

Elizabeth gripped Tobias's forearm so tightly that he winced. "What if they just happen to blurt something out?" she said through clenched teeth. "Something the non-magical haven't noticed...?"

The resulting shrug from Tobias made her want to punch him. "We'll deal with it when we get to it," he said, "Just like always."

The crowd began to shift, forcing the twins to move along with it. Elizabeth kept her grip on Tobias's forearm, not willing to lose track of him again. As they were pushed along, she noticed that the crowd was forming a line of pairs, causing breaks in the crowd. She brightened. This was their chance to escape!

"You can stand ahead of me," came a voice. Elizabeth turned to see an elderly gentleman with a kind smile and thinning hair. "They'll probably skip right over me. But an old man can dream, can't he?"

Tobias wriggled out of Elizabeth's grip as easily as a greased fish. "Thanks!" said Tobias as he gleefully stepped ahead of the old man.

_Die in a fire! _Elizabeth thought as she forced herself to smile politely. "Thank you, sir," she said as she took her place beside her brother. She had forgotten that, though she was stronger than Tobias, he was irritatingly agile.

As Elizabeth continued to wonder how to get them out of their current situation, she noticed Tobias leaning out of line. "They're chicken-sized," he said. "Kinda big for eggs, huh?"

Elizabeth leaned the other way, looking around the others in line. At the front were the egg bearers; three males, one female. They were all elves, and each of them had a sword and small bow. The woman and the light-haired male stood behind the other two, each holding a closed, ornate box. _They are chicken-sized,_ Elizabeth thought.

The old man chuckled. "They're _dragon_ eggs! Of course they're big!"

_I thought they would be bigger, actually,_ thought Elizabeth.

Elizabeth examined the front two elves. One had dark, possibly black hair. The other had brown hair and a disturbingly blank face. They motioned for the first in line, two young men, to step forward. After staring at them for a bit, the two elves sent one of them away, while the other proceeded to the back two elves. The boxes were then opened momentarily, and the young man is allowed to reach inside. Nothing seems to happen, and the young man is sent away. The front two elves then motioned for the next in line to step forward, and the process began again.

"What are they doing?" said Tobias as he continued to peer around those ahead of him.

"Looking into their minds," said the old man softly, doing the same.

"Yes," said Elizabeth, glaring at her brother. "It's _what they do._" His passive grunt of a response frustrated her. Did he not realize the danger they were in?!

"All this because of that Galby guy?" said Tobias with a slight frown. "Still don't get what-"

Elizabeth quickly shushed him; Tobias's opinion of the Rider and king, Galbatorix, was NOT a popular one, especially in Dauth. Though Galbatorix had been killed many decades ago, their hatred of him was still strong. Elizabeth herself had a very neutral opinion of him. He seemed the same as any other ruler, really. He had done both wonderful and terrible things. But Tobias saw him in only a positive light, and speaking of it would've been enough to get them both lynched.

_Not that we won't be lynched, anyway,_ Elizabeth thought as they drew closer to the front of the line.

She began to debate simply running away and back to the palace. But no, she couldn't leave Tobias behind. He would make a fuss and cause a scene. Bolting out of line would be sure to draw attention, but Tobias's antics would only make it much worse.

She glanced at her brother once more. His eyes were wide with excitement and anticipation, a grin plastered on his face. He reminded her of a puppy moments before receiving a treat, and she couldn't help but smile.

Elizabeth kicked herself for loving her brother so. _Damn you, you brainless fool_.

And so, with a sigh of defeat, Elizabeth continued forward without resistance. The dull murmur of the others in line was quite lulling, and she allowed her mind to wander back to the days of Cithri. Back before their parents taken from them. No one bothered them. No one questioned them. The ever-curious Tobias would wander with little restraint. Elizabeth used to go with him, too. She was so carefree back then. And, now that she thought about it, Tobias had seemed far more grounded.

Then one afternoon, as they settled down for their midday meal, an elf burst out from seemingly nowhere. He pounced on their father...

"Our turn!" Toby's voice pulled Elizabeth from her memories, and she was glad for it.

Or she was, until she looked up at the elves before her. Tobias tugged on her hand, urging her forward. Elizabeth swallowed hard and, with effort, forced herself to step forward.

Elizabeth struggled to keep her breath steady and even, and fought even harder to keep herself from trembling. Tobias, however, had no such apprehension. He looked them squarely in the eye. "'Ello!" he said with a short wave, cheerful as ever.

Elizabeth noticed the expression on the elves' faces: The light and dark-haired elves scowled openly. The female elf frowned and raised a brow. The brown-haired elf's face remained blank, and that frightened her the most. "Twins..." he said, his voice far deeper than Elizabeth would have expected.

"Yep!" Tobias confirmed in his usual, upbeat tone.

The blank-faced elf moved his eyes to Elizabeth, though his body stayed unnaturally still. "Ages?"

"T-twelve," Elizabeth stammered, despite her best efforts.

"And three-quarters!" Tobias added proudly.

"Names?" continued the blank-faced elf. Dread gripped Elizabeth; they hadn't asked anyone else these questions.

Tobias answered without hesitation. "Toby an' Lizzy!"

"Tobias and Elizabeth," Elizabeth corrected. Though she soon wondered why she bothered with being proper. _Scowling at someone certainly isn't proper_, she thought, glancing at the light-haired elf.

The blank-faced elf continued to his next question: "Parentage?"

Elizabeth stiffened as she noticed her brother open his mouth to answer. She quickly gathered all the courage she could muster and blurted out, "With all due respect, sir, I don't understand why that is of any importance." Tobias gave her a questioning stare. The murmur of the line ceased. The scowl of the light-haired elf intensified. And Elizabeth found herself too frightened to take a breath.

The blank-faced elf smiled the most hollow smile Elizabeth had ever seen. "It isn't," he said. Relief washed over Elizabeth, and she had to stop herself from wiping the sweat from her brow. The elf continued, "May we peer into your minds now?"

Elizabeth's heart sank. If she refused, they would likely cause a scene. They would tell their secret, and she and Toby would be back to fending for themselves. That is, if they weren't lynched, first. Or perhaps they would say nothing, and she and her brother simply never wake again after going to bed that night.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes."

The elves tore through her mind like a hurricane, uprooting memories long since forgotten and overturning secrets she held dear. Though she knew she remained firmly on the ground, Elizabeth felt as though gravity had released her, and she tumbled wildly through the air. Her head throbbed, and she was certain she was going to be sick.

Elizabeth felt Tobias squeeze her hand, and the world within her mind righted itself. Gravity took hold of her once more, and the overwhelming throb of her head faded. The catastrophic mental hurricane caused by the two elves was still present, but with Tobias, it didn't effect her as strongly.

Finally the storm retreated from her mind. Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes to find her vision blurry. It took her a moment to realize that she had been crying.

Elizabeth looked up to see that the dark-haired elf's expression had changed to one of regret. The blank-faced elf remained unreadable. Tobias reached across her face, offering her his sleeve. Elizabeth looked to him, and he flashed her a toothy grin. Elizabeth gave a halfhearted smirk in response, and used her own sleeve to wipe her face.

The two front elves then turned their attention to Tobias. Tobias smiled up at them in return. "Ready!"

Elizabeth watched the elves' expressions as they dove into Tobias's mind. Their reactions could not have been stranger: The dark-haired elf looked completely bewildered almost immediately. The blank-faced elf leaned backwards slightly, as though apprehensive. The pair looked back at their companions, who, Elizabeth assumed, also peered into Tobias's mind. Their reactions mirrored the others. Tobias giggled and squirmed all the while. "That tickles!" he managed to choke out, tears of laughter forming in the corners of his eyes.

The four elves stared at each other a moment before looking back to Tobias. "Well," muttered the light-haired elf, "that was certainly something..."

Elizabeth gazed at her brother as he wiped his eyes, recovering from his fit of laughter. She knew that Tobias was a bit..._off_...but what had they seen?

The blank-faced elf was the first to regain his composure. Clearing his throat, he said, "Elizabeth. Step forward and touch an egg."

Elizabeth was shocked. She had never expected them to give her a chance! Though, as she moved closer and looked up at the light-haired elf, she realized that they likely didn't _want_ to give her that chance.

The light-haired elf and the woman beside him each opened their boxes, and Elizabeth was instantly dazzled by their beauty. In one box rested a vibrant, orange egg. In the other, a brilliant blue egg. Both eggs glittered and shone more than any jewel she had seen before, not that she had seen very many.

Tobias reached forward and closed her mouth for her, causing her to blush with embarrassment.

Elizabeth looked from one egg to the other, indecisive. She glanced up at the elves: The light-haired elf, holding the blue egg, narrowed his eyes at her. The woman, holding the orange egg, frowned slightly. Elizabeth quickly reached for the orange egg. _At least she isn't glaring at me_, she thought.

Elizabeth gently rested her hand upon the orange egg, as though it would shatter. It was pleasantly warm to the touch.

But nothing happened.

With a disappointed sigh, Elizabeth removed her hand from the egg. _Of course not,_ she scolded herself. _Why did you bother getting your hopes up? People like you aren't allowed to be so fortunate._

Elizabeth grabbed Tobias by the arm and turned away, intending to get as far away from the elves, and possibly Dauth, as possible. A firm hand gripped her shoulder. She stiffened, prepared for the worst. She cautiously looked back to see who had grabbed her.

It had been the dark-haired elf, though he and the others were focused intently on the orange egg. The female elf smiled. "It seems he likes you," she said, shifting her focus to the girl. "Congratulations, young Elizabeth."

A cheer erupted behind them, gradually progressing throughout the square as the news spread down the line. The old man behind her congratulated her, clapping enthusiastically. Tobias leapt into the air with a loud whoop. Even the blank-faced elf congratulated her, donning a genuine smile. Elizabeth covered her mouth with both hands in an effort to suppress a squeal. _Me?! It chose me?!_

The elves then snapped the boxes shut, and motioned for the next two in line to move forward. "Stay near me, please" said the female elf.

Tobias's cheer vanished instantly. "Wait... What about me?"

"You will not be touching the eggs today," said the blank-faced elf sternly. "Move along."

Tobias didn't move. "What did I do wrong?" Tobias looked from one elf to the next, a pleading look in his eyes.

The dark-haired elf shifted uncomfortably, hand edging towards his blade. The light-haired elf avoided his gaze. "Nothing," the female elf blurted out, clearly forcing her smile. "You..." she scrambled for words, "...are a bit too..._interesting_, is all!"

Dread gripped Elizabeth once more. "He can still come with me, yes? We've always been together!" She did not care to hide her desperation. "Please, I can't leave him alone!"

"That is a decision to be made by the Riders," said the dark-haired elf. "Though... I doubt he will be able to follow you. He has no place there. I'm sorry."

Elizabeth looked to her brother. Dismay was clear in his face, and she could almost hear his heart shatter. She looked to the brown-haired elf with the usually blank expression.

On his face was a genuine smile.


	4. Whispers

-Wild-

-Chapter 4: Whispers-

_ This isn't her fault!_

_ The chances of her leaving us were always very high._

_ Ever since we left Mommy and Daddy behind..._

_ She never cared about us._

_ I hope she'll be alright..._

Tobias rocked slightly, his arms wrapped loosely around his knees. He stared at nothing as he sat alone in the tiny nook beneath the stone staircase. The hall was silent, but the voices of the Others were deafening. He did not want to talk to himself today, yet they insisted on speaking to him.

_We're nothing more than a burden._

_ She was so happy, just like before._

_ She's finally free..._

_ What are the odds?_

_ This wasn't supposed to happen!_

He closed his eyes and hugged his knees tighter. He could not help but to hear them. They were in his head, after all; they were his conscience. But at that moment they had no reason to speak. They didn't discuss anything with him. They didn't tell him what to do or not do. They simply spoke for the sake of speaking. Tobias desperately wished they would be quiet and leave him alone with his grief. Elizabeth was leaving, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Toby...?" Tobias jumped at the voice, so much more tangible than the others. He gazed up at his sister, a frown etched on his face. He hadn't heard her approach over the noise of the Others. "Are you alright?" she said as she bent to rub his shoulder. Her concern for him was clear, in both her expression and voice.

_Lies! She doesn't care!_

_ A marvelous performance._

_ Betrayal..._

_ No, she really does love us._

_ Oh, don't make her worry more!_

Tobias could do no more than grunt in acknowledgment, the sound nearly coming out as a whimper. Elizabeth joined him with a somber sigh, kneeling beside the nook. Tobias could barely fit into the space, himself. It was cozy and comforting, though did nothing to ease the pain caused by his current situation.

His twin was silent a long while. "They'll let you come," she began, "They have to! Once I make them understand that we're all we have..." Elizabeth continued on, but Tobias's attention was stolen away.

_Notice how she doesn't look at us as she says this._

_ There is a __**very**__ good chance that she is lying to us._

_ She has a point. Why would they separate us?_

_ Elves are bad people..._

_ Oh gods! Aren't there elven Riders?!_

_ There are, aren't there? Guess that means we're on our own from here on out._

Tobias could not help himself. He loosed a wail of anguish and began sobbing without restraint. Elizabeth pried him from the tiny space, and he allowed himself to flop into her arms. She hugged him tightly, petting his head as he buried his face into her shoulder. "Everything will be alright," she said softly, choking back her own tears. "Everything will be alright."

_ It's cold down here, all alone..._

Tobias groaned at the prodding of the Other. He stared blankly into the predawn darkness, towards the ceiling of the servants' chamber. He hadn't been able to sleep at all. He needed someone next to him, and the constant chatter of the Others was anything but helpful.

_We should've seen her off._

_ We'll never get another chance to say goodbye..._

_ Considering her training and subsequent duties as a Rider, the chances of us meeting her again are-_

_ None. The chances are none._

_ She wouldn't just abandon us!_

_ SHE was supposed to come to US after convincing them that we needed to stay together. Instead, she just left. If that's not abandonment, then what is?_

There was a brief moment of silence.

_ I told you; she doesn't care about us._

Tobias dried the tears that had begun to well in his eyes. _I want Lizzy back, _he thought_._ Though against the roar of the Others, his voice was little more than a whisper.

Tobias tried his hardest to focus on the rhythmic sound of straw against stone brick. It had taken a bit of coaxing from Tristian himself to rouse him from the floor. "Elizabeth would not stand for this," he had said. "She is a Rider now. You would embarrass her?" And so it was with tremendous effort that Tobias had halfheartedly dragged himself from his mattress and began his chores.

But the Others were so loud and obnoxious, he had been sweeping the exact same spot for several minutes.

_Perhaps the elves believe there is a limit to how interesting a single person can be?_

_ Don't be naive. They forced the egg to hatch for her, so that they could take her away without interference!_

_ That's ridiculous._

_ That's the truth._

_ No, no. We're already amazing! Riders become amazing. Amazing plus amazing equals overkill!_

_...Do __**not**__ attempt equations in the future._

_ I'm sorry._

_ You shouldn't steal the duties of another..._

_ I said I'm sorry!_

"Be quiet," Tobias mumbled, shaking his head slightly. They all sounded so alike that he often had difficulty telling them apart. Though at that moment he didn't care which of them were speaking; he addressed them all. "I don't want to talk today."

The Others ignored him entirely.

_What makes us amazing, exactly?_

_ We're terrific with numbers!_

_**I**__ am terrific with equations. Do not take credit for my work._

_ Er, well... Lord Kharlan liked that pie we made!_

_ ...Is that it? A pie? A __**pie**__ is why we're amazing?_

_ Uh... I... Well... It's... _The voice slowly shrank away.

_We can't use magic. We aren't noble. We own nothing. We can't hunt. We can't fight. We can't read. We can't play music. _The voice increased in volume until it hurt Tobias's ears. _Look around; do you see anyone? Even Elizabeth was glad to finally be rid of us. We are avoided. We are a burden. We are __**not**__ amazing._

Tobias sniffed, his eyes watering. "Please," he muttered weakly, "Stop talking."

The sound of footsteps drew his attention. He turned as two servants rounded the corner. They seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, laughing and smiling at each other. When they made eye contact with Tobias, however, their smiles vanished. They quickly fell silent and froze where they were.

_Don't trust them..._

_ They're wondering how to get rid of us, you know._

_ They are most likely to attack us in our sleep._

_ Knife in the back, eh? Wonder if we'll wake up in time to feel it?_

Tobias gripped the broom tightly as he began to tremble. He backed against the wall, his eyes locked on the other two servants. They continued to stare a moment before quickly walking past Tobias, putting as much space between he and them as possible.

Tobias released a shaky breath as he slid down the wall, the broom falling into his lap. He closed his eyes and sat there, taking several deep breaths in an effort to calm himself. When he opened his eyes again, the first thing to catch his eye was a shard of stone that had loosed itself from the surrounding bricks.

_What better way to express how much we miss her than to carve her name into ourself?_

_ What?! No!_

_ But I thought we loved her?_

_ Oh, we do! We do very, very much! Let's do that! She'll be so happy when she sees it!_

_ No, she'll be worried that we hurt ourself!_

_ Oh... Never mind, then._

_ What's a little cut in the face of familial bonding?_

_ 'Elizabeth' is a long name. The chances of infection are staggeringly high._

_ It's a display of affection. Others use trees; it'll mean more on our arm._

_ No!_

_ Leg, then._

_ No! What part of 'infection' do you not understand?! We could __**die**__!_

_ Even better. One less burden upon the world. One less waster of space and resources. Don't be selfish; leave._

Tobias reached the sharp, stone shard, hand shaking.

_Everything will be alright._ The Other spoke in a pitiful imitation of Elizabeth's voice.

Abandoning the shard, Tobias hugged the broom to his chest and wept. "Too loud," he whimpered. "Too loud..."

Tobias tugged his tiny mattress from the wall of the servants' chamber. He made no effort to catch it as it fell, and it collapsed to the dusty floor with a light thud. Tobias curled up beside it, not caring to unfurl it. Those nearby moved to comfort him. They offered him water, tried to encourage him to eat at least a few bites of bread that day. They offered words of encouragement and consolation. They patted his hand, and offered him an embraces of sympathy. One even offered to let him sleep beside her that night.

Tobias was oblivious to their efforts. Their voices were distant murmurs compared to those of the Others, who had tormented him all day. He did not expect to sleep that night, either.

_Oh, I hope Lizzy is alright! Being a Rider is so dangerous!_

_ How long will she last, I wonder?_

_ Hmm... Chances are-_

Tobias moaned, plugging his ears with his fingers. It was a futile attempt, but he did not know what else to do.

_Look at all the attention we draw. They want us to lower our guard._

_ They don't want us here, anymore..._

_ We were only allowed to be here to give Lizzy a reason to stay here. Lizzy was good at everything._

_ Too bad Riders have such rotten luck, huh? Best swordsman ever trips and falls, and takes a rock to the eye. Oh! And that other one, who-_

Tobias hugged his mattress tightly, clutching a corner in his fist. Why wouldn't they be quiet? He buried his face against the ill-stuffed cloth, muffling his sobs of frustration and loneliness.

There was a mocking chuckle from one of the Others, imitating the voice of Elizabeth.

_ Sweet dreams._


	5. Sparkle and Shimmer

-Wild-

-Chapter 5: Sparkle and Shimmer-

Elizabeth feigned interest at the words of the tiny man before her. He walked surprisingly quickly, his spotted, bald head gleaming in the light of the lanterns. She struggled to keep up. Her legs burned and her back ached, and she wanted nothing more than to sit down. She had even requested it many times, to which the dwarf insisted, "In a moment," or "Soon, soon."

She had arrived in the dwarven capital of Tronjheim a little over an hour ago, and she was now positive that they had landed solely so that he may show off his old home. It was one thing to be proud of one's hometown, but how long could anyone talk about the structure of it?

Her guide, the dwarven Rider, Audricht, paused before yet another pillar to point out the painstaking detail chiseled into it. Elizabeth took the opportunity to rest, shifting her weight to one leg. She forced herself to smile politely as she massaged her knee. Before the greatly unwanted tour and history lesson, she had been riding for hours upon hours on the back of Tsarnu, the dragon bound to Audricht. It amazed her that any creature could fly for that long.

And it amazed her that anyone would subject themselves to riding said creature each day. Riding a dragon was not as glamorous or easy as she had imagined. Elizabeth had never fancied herself afraid of heights until riding Tsarnu, and she could have sworn that the dragon insisted on banking sharply at every opportunity simply to bother her. The dragon had even seemed smug as Audricht had led her away to begin their tour of Tronjheim.

Audricht began walking again, adjusting the clasp of his beard as he went. It took everything Elizabeth had to not groan as she followed him. _Why are they torturing me, _she thought to herself. _What have I done to them? The bearers didn't tell them anything, did they?_

Elizabeth glanced toward the center of the massive chamber they were in. Tronjheim struck her as bizarre and painfully grandiose: Tronjheim stood within the massive hollow of Farthen Dûr, a volcanic mountain that had long since been dormant. The city stood as a massive, conical building made of marble, giving the impression of a mountain within the mountain. Tronjheim did not take up even a tenth of the space within the crater, yet Audricht had mentioned that it could house the entire dwarven population. Elizabeth wondered to herself why they bothered with other cities, but was unwilling to encourage the man's lecture.

Exquisite tapestries lined the halls, and fierce statues guarded seemingly every entryway. Everything, including the walls and floors, were chiseled to absolute perfection. Precious metals and stones were worked into it all, and Elizabeth wondered just how rich the dwarves were. Dauth was a hovel compared to Tronjheim.

The central chamber of Tronjheim, which they were in, was a round room that extended to the top of the city. Floors ringed the chamber, each lined with pillars that supported the floor above. Acting as the distant ceiling of the city was the crown jewel of guadiness: The Isidar Mithrim. The colossal, red gemstone was cut into the shape of a rose in full bloom. Elizabeth had even mistaken it for an actual plant until being told otherwise. She wondered if it was a single gem, or several thousand. But again, she didn't care enough to ask.

The craftsmanship on display was breathtaking, to be sure. Everything had been made with utmost skill, passion, and dedication. _But it's all too much,_ Elizabeth thought as she looked at the Isidar Mithrim. _And I prefer sunlight to gemlight._ Little enough sunlight managed to breach the opening at the top of Farthen Dûr; how could they bare to block it off further?

Audricht turned and headed up the stairs. Elizabeth gritted her teeth and braced herself for more climbing. The Endless Staircase ran unbroken along the outermost wall of the chamber, from the ground floor of Tronjheim all the way past the Isidar Mithrim. She had quickly come to hate the staircase. She hated it dearly.

Cut into the wall alongside the Endless Staircase was a smooth, polished trough. Audricht had told her that, in case of emergency, the trough could act as a slide to the bottom of Tronjheim. However, it was far too narrow for a human, and he advised against trying it.

_Toby would try it, anyway,_ Elizabeth thought to herself with a smile. She imagined him squealing with glee for the entirety of the ride, losing his voice in the process and not caring the slightest bit.

Elizabeth's smile vanished as she climbed the stairs behind Audricht. Not because of her exhaustion, but because of the guilt she felt. She should have mustered the courage to drag both herself and her brother far, far away from the eggs. Instead, she had allowed them to be driven apart. She didn't hate the dragon for choosing her; she hated herself for allowing it the chance.

Elizabeth had begged and pleaded with Audricht to allow Tobias to come with her. Audricht had told her that the Riders' home was no place for those who were not Riders. Even when she had told the dwarf that she was all Tobias had, Audricht was unmoved. "Fate drives all apart," he had said. "That is the nature of the world, whether we like it or not. Surely, you understood that the two of you would be separated one day?" Tsarnu had added that she could not carry another person. Elizabeth had quickly stated that she was fine with walking. Tsarnu and Audricht, however, were not.

What was worse was that she had not been allowed to tell her brother goodbye. Audricht had been impatient to leave, and Elizabeth could not manage to find Tobias before the dwarf insisted that they be on their way. Between that and his accursed tour, Elizabeth decided that she did not care for the little man. She wasn't fond of his ugly, grape-colored dragon, either!

_Speaking of,_ Elizabeth thought as she heard the rhythmic beating of large wings. The sparkling, purple dragon flew up past them, only to allow herself to drop back and land gently on the edge of their floor. In hindsight, Elizabeth realized that Tsarnu probably couldn't carry three people. Though muscular in build and with powerful wings, she was only roughly the size of a large horse.

Audricht waved to his dragon, uttering a greeting that Elizabeth assumed was dwarvish. It amused her somewhat that Audricht's mouth was completely hidden unless he was speaking. So much hair on his face, yet not a trace on his liver-spotted head. "What are you doing here, friend? Why are you not in the Dragonhold?"

_Yes,_ Elizabeth thought to herself, mildly agitated, w_hy did you leave my egg unattended?_ The Dragonhold was the space above the Isidar Mithrim. It, like the rest of the upper levels of Tronjheim, was completely vacant except for when a Rider or dragon was visiting. Despite that fact, Elizabeth felt that leaving anything of value there unguarded was stupid.

The purple dragon's mind reached out to her, and with it came a voice that Elizabeth had only attributed to noblewomen that thought far too highly of themselves: _Your partner is looking for you, Elizabeth._

"It hatched?" said Audricht, clearly surprised. "Already?"

Tsarnu looked down at Elizabeth, her silver eyes glinting in the dim light of the lanterns. _Yes. It seems he is quite eager to meet her, face-to-face._

_So you left my newly-hatched dragon all by himself? That's even worse!_ Elizabeth noticed the dragon was still staring at her, her eyes narrowing. Elizabeth's face reddened slightly. _You're still there, aren't you?_

_Yes_, said Tsarnu with a huff of smoke. _And I am not 'grape-colored'. I'm __**amethyst**__._

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said aloud, trying not to think about anything else. She hated that she couldn't quite tell when the dragon was in her mind or not.

She and Audricht climbed into Tsarnu's saddle, and the dragon began the round-about trip to the Dragonhold. As they flew down to the ground floor of Tronjheim, Elizabeth spotted a white, gleaming statue. It was in the vague shape of a tall, slender person, though it had been sculpted into an odd and impossible pose. Elizabeth wondered what it was supposed to represent, and why it didn't fall over. She was tempted to ask Audricht, but didn't want to start him on another lecture.

Tsarnu landed and bounded down one of the four tunnels leading out of the city. The inhabitants of the city cleared out of her way, some frightened or angry, others chuckling or waving to them. The ride was jerky, and Elizabeth clung to Audricht to keep from falling off.

When they finally emerged from the massive gates of Tronjheim, Tsarnu crouched and leapt high into the air. They ascended quickly, and Elizabeth felt her head swim. _I won't get used to this any time soon, _she thought, woozy.

After what seemed like forever, they made their way up and over the wall of the city. Tsarnu dropped through the top of Tronjheim and into the Dragonhold. Caves of varying sizes and heights had been cut into the marble, each with large cushions upon which dragons could rest. Footholds lead up to the caves, so that others could enter as well. The Isidar Mithrim made up the floor of the Dragonhold, its flat surface gleaming dully in the meager sunlight that had managed to make it inside.

Tsarnu landed before one of the lowest caves, and Audricht gracefully leapt from her back. Elizabeth tried to do the same, only to topple over. She blushed with embarrassment as the dwarf helped her to her feet.

From within the cave sounded an odd series of chirps and squeaks. Beside the dragon-sized cushion, amidst shards of egg, was her tiny, newborn partner. The hatchling's scales were the same dazzling orange as his egg. His crumpled, damp wings were spread beside him in an attempt to dry them out.

Elizabeth gazed at the hatchling, paralyzed by awe. When she recovered, she darted over to the tiny dragon and plopped down before him. The hatchling flinched backward, startled by her sudden movements.

She looked her dragon over, admiring him more closely. He was so small, about the size of a house cat. The hatchling stared up at her in return, his large, golden eyes fixed on hers, his head tilted quizzically. After moments of silence, he gave a strange, shrill squeak.

Elizabeth squealed, unable to help herself. She reached to pet the hatchling on snout. "You're so ador-"

Her words ended in an awkward yelp as her hand made contact with the dragon. A fierce, freezing sensation coursed through her veins. She jerked, as though struck by lightning, and fell backwards in a daze.

Elizabeth blinked to clear her vision as her senses finally returned to her. At some point during her stupor, the little, orange hatchling had climbed onto her chest. It watched her curiously, his snout nearly touching her nose. Audricht leaned into her field of view. "My apologies; I should have warned you about that."

The hatchling whipped his head back to look at Audricht. It growled at him, baring his tiny, sharp teeth. Elizabeth felt the hatchling's agitation towards the dwarf in her mind, and she marveled at the odd sensation. It mirrored her own almost perfectly. The hatchling was angry simply because she was angry. He did not even care for the reason she was upset. But unlike Elizabeth, he did not see why he should hide his irritation.

Audricht frowned at the hatchling and his unintimidating growl. "You did it, not me." The hatchling continued to growl, anyway.

Tsarnu snaked her head around Audricht and nudged the hatchling with her snout. The tiny dragon growled even louder, and Elizabeth winced as his claws pierced her shirt and dug into her chest. She carefully sat up and patted the hatchling's neck in an effort to calm him. As she did so, she noticed a pale, oblong marking on her right palm. She looked to Audricht, concerned. "Did I cut myself?"

The dwarf shook his head. "No. That is the gedwëy ignasia; that which binds you to your dragon.

Elizabeth clenched and flexed her hand. To her, it looked more like a scar than some great, binding magic. The hatchling sniffed at her hand, and she showed it to him. The tiny dragon jabbed the mark with his snout, causing it to itch and glow faintly. Elizabeth sucked in a breath through her teeth and scratched at the marking.

Her dragon wriggled out of her arms and onto the floor. He walked in circles, sniffing and tasting the air. After a moment he paused and looked to Elizabeth with a pitiful, squeaking chirp. A fierce hunger suddenly swept over her, only to vanish briefly afterward. She shook her head, a bit disturbed. Did they have to feel what the other felt? She could already imagine the awkward problems such a thing could cause.

Another hunger pang from the hatchling stabbed at her. With a sigh, she gave in and looked to Audricht. "Do we have anything to eat up here?"

Audricht nodded with a knowing smile, pointing to a large, leather sack at the rear of the cave. He then sat beside Tsarnu on the large cushion, leaning back and resting his head on her forelegs. Elizabeth climbed to her feet and walked over to the sack. She did her best to be careful and not step on the hatchling, who insisted on darting between her legs constantly.

Elizabeth opened the sack to find it filled with dried meat. Vaguely wondering if it all came from the same animal, she grabbed a fat strip and dangled it just over her dragon's head. Like lightning, the tiny dragon snapped it from between her fingers. Elizabeth flinched. _I'd better watch my fingers_, she thought to herself as the dragon quickly devoured the meat. He looked back up at her, demanding more the instant he swallowed. She grabbed another strip and dropped it in front of the hatchling. He barely caught it before it hit the ground. Elizabeth giggled at him quietly, amused.

As she grabbed another piece of meat, she found herself wondering what it tasted like. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, even. She sniffed at it, only to find that it didn't smell like much of anything. Elizabeth looked down at her dragon with a raised brow. "Should I?"

The hatchling licked his chops in response. Elizabeth wasn't sure if he had even understood her, but she nibbled the meat, anyway. She was delightfully surprised by how delicious it was, and so she spent the next several minutes feeding both herself and her new dragon.

When both their bellies were pleasantly full, Elizabeth lifted her dragon and carried him to the bed that had been carved out of the marble wall. She sat the dragon on the bed and lay beside him. He stared at her, displeased. He wanted to explore, she could feel it, but her legs were still sore.

It occurred to Elizabeth that she had not once thought of what she might name the hatchling. She reflected briefly upon his appearance. It reminded her of the sunrise. "Perhaps I should call you-"

Tsarnu's thoughts quickly barged into her mind. _We name ourselves,_ she said, an hint of aggression in her tone.

"Oh..." said Elizabeth, annoyed at the dragon's intrusion. "When will he do that, then?"

"Soon enough," said Audricht. The dwarf had remained silent and with his eyes closed for so long that Elizabeth had assumed he'd gone to sleep.

_A nap sounds good, actually_, she thought to herself. She rested her head upon her folded arms and closed her eyes. Not a moment later her hatchling gently nipped her nose. Elizabeth turned her head away from him with a soft groan. The hatchling responded to this by jabbing the back of her head repeatedly with his snout.

Elizabeth turned back to the hatchling with a small frown, trying to make her tiredness clear to the little dragon with her thoughts. The hatchling paid this no mind, and jabbed her forehead before leaping from the bed. She watched as he landed clumsily, stumbling over himself, and darted towards the entrance of the cave. "Alright, alright," she mumbled as she climbed out of bed.

The hatchling ran out onto the Isidar Mithrim, tiny claws clacking lightly against the gemstone. Elizabeth watched as he discovered his reflection and tried to play with it. He pounced on it several times. After realizing that it had no effect, he tried to bite it. The hatchling squeaked as he knocked his head against the stone.

Giving up on the image, he scurried back to Elizabeth. He nipped at the edge of her skirt, just barely missing it before she yanked it away. Elizabeth laughed as she jogged ahead of the tiny, playful dragon, momentarily forgetting how tired she was.

In a sudden burst of speed, the hatchling darted between her legs again. Elizabeth twisted to avoid stepping on her new friend, only to stumble to the floor. The hatchling leapt onto her back, and threw his head back with a triumphant squeak. Elizabeth's resulting laughter echoed across the Dragonhold.

The hatchling bounded from her back as she rolled over. Elizabeth remained there, staring up through the entrance of the Dragonhold, and on through the top of Farthen Dur. As she lay there the smile slowly faded from her face. She looked to the side to see the tiny dragon staring at her. She could feel his concern.

Elizabeth gave a heavy-hearted sigh. "My brother would absolutely adore you," she explained. The hatchling gave a soft squeak in response. Elizabeth looked back through the ceiling and to the sky. "And you would love playing with him; he never gets tired. And he's so silly. He talks to himself all the time, and the strangest ideas come to him. Once, he stole a horn because he swore that he could turn it into a bow that didn't need arrows. He even insisted that the world is round, and that we live on the egg of a star. Can you believe that?"

Elizabeth turned back to the hatchling, swallowing past the lump in her throat. Tears rolled across her face.

The hatchling began to yowl. Elizabeth could feel his confusion at her sorrow. He didn't understand why she was upset, nor could he fathom how to deal with it.

Elizabeth dried her tears with her sleeve and took a deep breath to steady herself. She pushed Tobias far from her mind; for the hatchling's sake.

_For the record, the world __**is**__ round. _The voice Elizabeth heard in her mind did not belong to Tsarnu. It sounded like a young man's, actually; upbeat and sure of itself.

Her head snapped towards the Endless Staircase. The head of a blue-eyed, red-scaled dragon stared back at her through the opening in the floor. Elizabeth blinked at it. Why had it taken the stairs?

_Hey, don't give me that look, _said the red dragon, turning his head to peer at her with one eye. _If I could fly high enough with someone on my back, I'd prove it!_

Another voice sounded behind the dragon. "Would you mind getting out of the way? I'm tired of looking at your rear end." The voice was deep and heavily accented. It sounded to Elizabeth like someone speaking with something in their mouth.

The dragon climbed onto Isidar Mithrim with a clacking of nails, his wings barely fitting through the entryway. He was slightly smaller than Tsarnu, and was far more lithe in build. His scales weren't as shiny, either, though the shade of red was vibrant and beautiful, nonetheless.

Elizabeth gasped in shock as the other speaker climbed into the Dragonhold: A towering, muscular man with dark grey skin, ram-like horns, and fangs protruding from his bottom jaw.

Elizabeth yelped despite herself, scrambling to get up. "Urgal!"

"Kull, actually," said the grey-skinned man calmly, seemingly unaffected by her reaction to him.

Elizabeth took a shaky step backward. Every story ever told to her about the violent, barbaric acts committed by urgals rushed through her mind. Kull were simply their larger, more terrifying cousins. Her hatchling growled at the newcomers, sensing her apprehension.

The red dragon tilted his head back slightly, as if with pride. _Handsome devil, ain't he? Don't worry, sweetie; he don't bite._ He tilted his head downward again so that he could look at Elizabeth more directly. _...But I do_, he added with a wink.

Elizabeth stared at the red dragon in perplexed silence.

"Sharp..." said the kull in a strict tone.

The red dragon clicked his tongue as he whipped his head away, defiantly. _Fine. I'll go play with Tsarnu, then!_

Elizabeth watched as the red dragon trotted past her. "When she bites you," said the kull, "I will laugh and laugh, and never stop."

_Have fun suffocating!_

The kull rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated groan. "I'm sorry," he said as he looked down at Elizabeth, who was still somewhat bewildered. The kull smiled and offered her his hand. "I'm Ghek. And Sharp was right; I won't harm you."

Elizabeth cautiously shook the proffered hand. Ghek nodded approvingly. She was surprised at how gentle and friendly he seemed, not at all like the stories. Then again, most of those stories were from long before the urgals of any sort were able to become Riders.

Her hatchling leapt onto Ghek's leg with a squeak, attempting to climb him like a tree. Ghek gave a deep chuckle as he plucked the tiny dragon from himself and handed him to Elizabeth. "I take it you're the new Rider?"

She nodded wordlessly, taking the dragon into her arms. "Well then, welcome to our ranks." Ghek gave a slow, short bow. "I look forward to working alongside you in the future."

Elizabeth smiled and curtsied. Ghek was a welcome change of pace. "Thank you, sir. Same to you."

Ghek straightened. "Now, if you'll excuse me... I have to keep Tsarnu from acting on her desire to snap my partner's neck."

Elizabeth moved aside with a snicker, and the kull took long strides to rejoin his dragon. Her hatchling chirped after him. "I like him, too," said Elizabeth. _And he _is_ rather pretty for an urgal_, she thought._ Er, kull._

She began walking after him when a glint caught her eye. Elizabeth turned towards the source of the flash. Deep within one of the many, low caves of the Dragonhold was another white statue.

Seeing the opportunity to examine something without Audricht prattling on and on, she entered the statue's cave. It was again in the vague shape of a tall, slender person. Its limbs curved oddly, holding a pose that no creature with bones could have hoped to achieve.

Unlike all other statues in Tronjheim, it had very few features. Its face was barely defined, giving only the vaguest impression of where its nose would be. Its limbs simply ended in sharp points. Only the crown of ivy upon its head and ribbed fins that extended from its waist held any detail.

The entire statue was glossy and the purest white, broken only by the swirling, gilded pattern that covered its body. She wondered if the statue was hollow, with a very thin shell. It looked exceedingly fragile, and far too heavy for the single, pointed limb it stood on.

Elizabeth did not dare to go any closer, afraid that an over-heavy step would topple it. The last thing she needed was an angry dwarf coming after her.

The hatchling tensed in her arms, growling more ferociously than he had ever before in his short life. A chill crept through Elizabeth. The statue's distinct lack of a face unnerved her deeply, and a sense of dread clawed at her.

"Elizabeth!" Audricht's voice echoed dully in the Dragonhold. "Blast it, girl, where have you gone?" Using his impatient tone as an excuse, Elizabeth ran as quickly as possible from the faceless thing. She did not slow or stop until she reached the cave Tsarnu rested in. Audricht raised a questioning brow. "Stay in sight," he said after a moment.

"I'm sorry," said Elizabeth as she fought the urge to glance over her shoulder. She did not want to let him know that she had been unnerved by a mere statue. She could already imagine the winded lecture he would give as to why she should've feared the statues filled with painstaking attention to detail, instead.

The hatchling gave a pained chirp, wriggling uncomfortably in her arms. Elizabeth quickly loosened her grip; she hadn't realized how tightly she had been holding him.

Her hatchling leapt from her arms, flaring his wings. Instead of gliding, however, he tumbled through the air and plummeted to the ground. There was a soft thud and a squeak as he landed on his back. He scrambled to his feet and tucked himself against Elizabeth's ankle. She could feel his shock at failing so spectacularly, and so she knelt and stroked his neck with a finger to console him.

"Are you coming with us?" Elizabeth said after a moment, looking up at Ghek.

Ghek shook his head. Sharp spoke in her mind, _Wish we could, but we have to go do boring things in the boring forest with the boring elves_. Elizabeth could not hide her disdain at the mention of the pointy-eared people. _I know, right? Not as bad as dwarves, though!_

"Watch your tongue, dragon," said Audricht, narrowing his eyes at Sharp. Sharp stuck out his tongue and tried to look at it. Elizabeth suppressed a giggle.

Ghek shook his head and chuckled. He patted Sharp on the neck and said, "We should go. The elders won't be pleased to hear that we made this detour in the first place."

Sharp sniffed with indifference. _Let's be honest; are they ever pleased about anything?_

Ghek and Sharp said their goodbyes and made their way back to the staircase. Elizabeth wondered at them. They were willing to walk up the entirety of Tronjheim on an unneeded detour? But perhaps they were used to walking. There was no way Sharp could have carried Ghek; they were roughly the same height!

And how long had they been bonded? Audricht had been quick to note that he had been a Rider for twenty years. However, Tsarnu was not much larger than Sharp. The few tales she had heard of dragons described them as massive beasts; why were Tsarnu and Sharp so small?

She grinned. _I'd bet Toby would have some sort of explanation._ At that thought Elizabeth got an idea. She quickly got up and ran over to the kull and his dragon, her hatchling giving a startled chirp. Sharp gave her a quizzical blink. _Miss us, already?_

"I know that you are busy," Elizabeth began, "but may I ask you a favor?"

Ghek nodded. "If it is within our power, of course."

Elizabeth weaved her fingers together, wondering how to apply pressure in her words without being overly disrespectful. "The Riders...would not willingly divide family, would they?" Sharp tilted his head, and Ghek raised a brow. She continued, avoiding their eyes. "My brother, Tobias, is back in Dauth. He shouldn't be left alone, but Audricht insisted that I leave without him."

Ghek frowned slightly. "By your wording, I take it there is no one else to watch over him?"

Elizabeth opted to be truthful. "We worked in Dauth's castle, so there are the other servants. But Toby is a bit..." she faltered for a moment, thinking how to phrase it. "He's too much, at times. I doubt they'll care to for long. I'm afraid they'll kick in out, and I don't think Toby can take care of himself."

"Define 'too much'."

"He gets strange ideas. ...Sometimes, he acts on them."

"...I see." Ghek folded his arms and looked thoughtful. He was silent a long while. Elizabeth mentally kicked herself. She had said too much, and described Tobias as a burden.

She decided to give one last idea a try. She swallowed and forced her eyes to well with tears. She looked up at Ghek, looking as pitiful as possible. "Please... I'm all he has."

"Then why did you touch the egg?" The question came as a shock to Elizabeth, banishing her act entirely. "You strike me as a thoughtful girl. I'm sure you understood the chances of becoming a Rider were slim, and the chances of both of you becoming Riders were nigh impossible. But you took that chance, anyway, and now here you are. Either you were inconsiderate in assuming that we could and would house you both, or you were hoping for the chance to escape him."

Elizabeth stomped, her face reddening in outrage. "How dare you! I love my brother! And why wouldn't we both be able to come? If you have enough space for the dragons-"

"The Stronghold is a place of learning," Ghek interrupted. "It is a temporary home for Riders in training. It is a place where we may come together in counsel. It is _not_ a home for every poor or unfortunate soul we happen to come across."

Elizabeth trembled, breathing hard. She had been positive that Ghek would would sympathize. He had a point, however. She should never have touched the orange egg. She reminded herself that she wasn't angry at Tobias or the hatchling. She was angry with herself for allowing this situation to happen.

She spun sharply, her fists clenched in frustration. Ghek's large hand gripped her shoulder, stopping her. He spoke in a gentle tone, "I will ask if the elders can make an exception." Elizabeth calmed, looking back at him. Ghek held an apologetic expression. "I make no promises, other than that."

Elizabeth nodded in understanding. Ghek patted her shoulder, then he and his dragon began their long decent down the Endless Staircase. Elizabeth watched until they had both disappeared through the stairs' entrance.

She sighed. Before she could turn away, however, Sharp's head popped back up into the Dragonhold. He gave her a wink, then disappeared once more. Elizabeth smiled, brightening a little.

As she made her way back to Tsarnu's cave, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. At the lip of the Dragonhold's top opening was a spot of wobbling air. Elizabeth wondered at the mirage; it hadn't seemed that warm when she'd flown in. As she watched, a ray of light found its way into the mountain and banished the mirage. She shrugged, and kept on her way.

Out of paranoia, she glanced into the cave containing the odd statue as she passed it.

It was gone.


	6. Mirage

-Wild-

-Chapter 6: Mirage-

Tobias lounged against the ledge of the balcony that overlooked Dauth castle's main entrance. He picked at the cracks in the stone as he spoke to himself. Or rather, to his Helpful Other. The conscience had fought hard to give him that moment of peace by silencing the rest. Unfortunately, Tobias's thoughts always wandered in the same direction, preventing him from truly enjoying it.

_She loves you._

"Because she has to."

_You're her favorite brother!_

"I'm her **only** brother."

_You're starting to sound like **him**_.

Tobias sighed as he flicked a pebble away. "Why doesn't she write?"

There was a dumbfounded pause. _...Because we can't read. And neither can she._

"Somebody else can do those parts."

_It's only been a week. We don't know how long it takes to get wherever she went. Can we **please** talk about something else?_

The Helpful Other's plea sounded especially desperate to Tobias, and so he looked towards the sky. It was filled with puffy, white clouds, yet not a single one obscured the sun. Tobias examined one for a moment before grinning. "That one looks like a crab."

_Looks like a turtle, to me._

Tobias tsked. "Crabs are better than turtles. It's a crab."

_What about a turtle-monk?_

"Super crab assassin."

_Holy turtle knight!_

"A dragon would eat'em, both," Tobias said with a nod. His mood then dampened once more. "I wonder which one Lizzy's dragon would eat, first?" The Helpful Other groaned in frustration.

Tobias enjoyed the Helpful Other's company, and was especially grateful for it that day. The other residents of the castle had taken to avoiding him entirely, noble and servant alike. Even Master Tristian hadn't bothered to check on or scold him all day.

Granted, Tobias was positive that at least a handful of them wanted him dead. He needed no proof; his Others told him so. Despite this, he wished they would talk to him every now and then. He was terribly lonely, even with his Others.

Tobias sat up and drew his knees in close."...I miss Lizzy," he said as he wrapped his arms around his legs.

_I know,_ said the Helpful Other. _She'll write soon, I promise!_

_See, this is why she left._ The voice pierced Tobias's thoughts, and it took him a moment to recognize it as the harsh, Uncaring Other. _You know you're separate people, right? That you can do your own thing? Stop leeching her life and get your own._

_ Don't listen to him! You aren't leeching; you're caring. How'd you get out, anyway?_

_ None of your business, that's how._

The bickering of the two Others invoked a splitting headache. Tobias massaged his temples and tightly closed his eyes. "Stop," he whined. But as always, he was ignored.

_Everything that goes on in here is my business!_

_ I don't remember voting for you._

_ To hell with votes! Without me, this place would fall apart!_

_ Because you're doing a wonderful job so far. _

_ Why, thank..._ The Helpful Other paused as he realized the Uncaring Other was being sarcastic. _**Hey**! You take that back!_

Tobias covered his ears with his hands and groaned. They were practically speaking over each other.

_ Sane people don't talk to themselves, y'know._

_ Did you hear me?!_

_ Because that's what it looks like, outside. Talkin' to himself._

_ And that's perfectly-_

_ What's that noise?_ The Others had suddenly spoken in tandem, startling Tobias. With their following silence, he was made fully aware of his surroundings once more. A clamor raged behind him; shouts and screams and sounds of destruction.

Tobias scrambled to his feet and looked out over the balcony. The streets of Dauth were filled with absolute chaos. People ran shrieking in every direction, bowling over and trampling each other to flee something Tobias could not see. Soldiers fought to maintain some sense of order, their eyes filled with the same terror as the civilians. Buildings had collapsed into rubble, and mangled bodies were strewn about haphazardly. Tobias gaped in shock, mostly at himself. How had he missed all of _that_?!

He watched as a building caved inward of its own accord. A man fleeing the falling rubble was suddenly lifted and rocketed through the air, landing several streets away. Another man was slammed through a shuttered window, his body folding violently as half of him smacked against the wall. A wagon collapsed into splinters, crushed by some unseen force. Tobias thought he had seen someone hide underneath the wagon. He hoped he was wrong. He also hoped that he was wrong about seeing the top half of a poor woman suddenly going missing.

Creatures and objects alike were spontaneously flung or crushed or torn apart. Tobias scanned the scene, searching for a source of the madness. He could find none.

Shrieks sounded from below him. Tobias looked over the edge of the balcony to see people stumbling over each other in an effort to flee. On the entrance stairway lie the flattened remains of a servant woman. Above and around her the air quivered, like a mirage. Tobias stared at the wobbling air, puzzled.

The air shifted slightly, keeping a vague, circular shape. A sense of overwhelming dread came over him, but he was too afraid to move. Too afraid to even take another breath. The air shifted again.

_**RUN!**_

Tobias bolted at the cry of the Others, tearing down the corridor as fast as he was able. Behind him sounded as though the balcony exploded. Heavy, galloping thuds followed him, tremors running through the floor and walls. He did not dare to look back.

His minded clouded by fear, he fled into a dead-end: Lord Kharlan's bedroom, lit brightly by sunlight as it poured through the slits in the walls. Panting heavily, he scanned the room for a place to hide. He considered the bed for only a split second before the memory of the crushed wagon came to mind.

His eyes landed upon a large chest in a corner of the room. Deciding it was as good a place as any, Tobias ran to it and threw it open. Clothes and trinkets scattered across the floor as he hastily made space for himself.

Nearly as soon as he had leapt in and closed himself inside, the doorway to the bedroom buckled inward. Tobias fought to still his breathing as he cracked open the lid to peer out. As debris tumbled around the wobbling air, he noticed that, from that angle, it was in the vague shape of a toad.

The air moved further into the room in lurches, the ground jolting slightly at each movement. The scattered trinkets shook violently and of their own accord, filling the room with a dull rattle. As it passed before the rays of light, the wobbling shape vanished entirely. Tobias felt relief for only a moment before the grand bed was reduced to nothing more than firewood, the air beginning to tremble above it.

As the malevolent air moved closer to his hiding spot, he uttered whimper, despite himself. There was a bubbling growl, and underlying it, a deep, feminine chuckle. Tobias allowed the chest to shut the rest of the way. He closed his eyes, covered his mouth with his hands, and wished with all his might for the thing to go away.

The chest rocked as the thing brushed against it.

Tobias lost himself entirely to panic and burst from the chest. Screaming and stumbling over himself, he fled. The bubbling growl and laughter sounded loudly behind him. Tobias had barely made it from the room before the chest was hurled at him. It just missed his head, passing through the fringes of his hair and shattering against the wall.

He was a blur as he raced through the castle, shoving past noble, guard, and servant alike. Too afraid to even think, he simply ran. The thundering gallop was omnipresent behind him, the floor and walls shuddering. Screams of horror preceded him. Sounds of anguish and destruction followed him. Not once did he look back.

Tobias burst from the castle doors, the heavy thuds of the thing not far behind. As he began running down the stairs, his shoe snagged on an uneven brick.

He pushed himself forward in an improvised leap. Tobias came down hard on his knee, and tumbled down the last handful of stairs before coming to a stop face-down at the bottom. Every part of him screamed in pain. He could taste blood, and his heart pounded in his ears.

Before he could move there was a great _**thud**_ behind him. As the fractured bricks of the stairway rolled past him, he felt a whoosh of hot air. Then another. And another. He heard the sound of something heavy and wet slap onto the ground. The smell of something sweet and rotten filled his nose. And, soft as a whisper, he heard the bubbling growl and a mocking laughter. Tobias squeaked pitifully, wrapping his arms over his head in a vain attempt to protect himself.

He flinched as he was suddenly deafened by what sounded like all the world's pottery breaking at once. Heavy chunks of the unseen thing rained down on him, restricting his breathing. It was fortunate that he was already protecting his head.

The weight of the chunks quickly faded, allowing him to breathe normally. Tobias cautiously lifted his head and looked around. The wobbling air was all around him, but quickly growing still. Through the remnants of the wobbling air he spied a tiny, red silhouette upon a roof. But as the mirage faded, so did it.


	7. Tired

-Wild-

-Chapter 7: Tired-

_ You're still a hypocrite._

"Again with this? We're going to fix the matter now; would you **please **drop it?"

_No._

It had been two weeks since their meeting with the young Elizabeth. And for nearly the entirety of their journey away from the mountains and to the west, Sharp made sure the kull was fully aware of his disappointment.

Everyone wanted to become a Rider. No one thought of the consequences. Everyone believed that becoming a Rider would fix all of their problems; that it would prevent all future troubles. This simply was not true, and Ghek's aim was to dispel that belief. However, Elizabeth's situation was no different than his own had been, so many years ago. Perhaps Ghek had been scolding himself, not the girl.

He already knew the tragic outcome of this story. The elders would not grant her request. They would repeat his words, and she would become angry at both the Riders and herself. She would become increasingly determined to return to her brother. And she would succeed...only years too late.

And so Ghek was going to prevent it all, and go over the heads of the elders.

The kull and dragon pair trekked through the arid plains of Surda, the city of Dauth visible on the horizon. Ghek was fond of neither the oppressive heat, nor the flat, open expanse that made up the southern half of the small country. He could sense that Sharp loved it, and he wished the dragon would focus on it instead of him, if only for a moment.

_I mean,_ Sharp continued,_ you've been on both sides. Why yell at her?_

"Because you didn't stop me," Ghek snapped, frustrated. "What sort of partner are you?"

Sharp stopped walking. _Oh, so you're gonna yell at me for not yellin' at you for yellin' at her?_

"No," said Ghek through clenched teeth as he turned to face his partner. "I'm yelling because you refuse to let it go!"

The dragon stared at him for a long moment, brow raised. _...You know I'm joking, right? Don't you know me by now?_ Sharp tried and failed to hide the tone of unease in his thoughts.

Ghek closed his eyes and drew a long, calming breath. He _did_ know Sharp, and he knew that he wasn't joking. It was an excuse he had used ever since he was a hatchling, whenever he knew someone was displeased with him. "...Silly dragon," Ghek muttered as he opened his eyes, barely refraining from calling him something far, far worse.

_'Silly' ain't the word I'd use_, said Sharp as he began walking again. _I mean, was it 'silly' of you to take off before asking the girl what her brother looks like?_

Ghek accepted his dragon's round-about way of admitting fault as he resumed walking beside him. "I still can't believe I did that," he said, shaking his head slightly.

Sharp held his head and tail high. _Good thing you have a master of foresight watchin' out for you, eh?_

"Yes, yes," said the Rider with a chuckle. "What would I do without you?"

_Not much. _Ghek playfully shoved the dragon away.

They continued on in silence. The large, wide-bladed sword slung across Ghek's back tapped against his hip with each step. The wind kicked up, blowing his dark, cord-like hair about. It did absolutely nothing to cool him down. He tugged on the thin, loose fabric of his tunic to fan himself. It did no better than the wind had, tempting him to strip down and refashion the blasted thing into a loincloth. Exactly what part of this did his dragon find so enjoyable?

Sharp began to whistle, breaking the silence and distracting Ghek from his discomfort. It was a high-pitched tune of his own make, as well as the reasoning behind his name. Not many dragons could whistle, let alone as well as Sharp could.

As the dragon finished his song, a random thought occurred to Ghek: "Why did you hatch for me?"

Sharp considered the question. _Y'know... I forget._

"I'm being serious."

_So am I._ There was a brief pause._ ...__And what does it matter? Don't you know I love ya?_

Ghek knew Sharp was lying. The uneasy tone had tinted Sharp's thoughts once more. He was either embarrassed by the reasoning, or afraid that Ghek wouldn't like the answer. Possibly both.

Ghek gave a gentle grin as he scratched Sharp's chin, banishing the conversation. He could have argued that he loved the dragon unconditionally, and that the reasons behind his hatching would not change that. But the dragon had had a point. It didn't matter.

Sharp and Ghek stood astonished before the entryway of the waterside city of Dauth, the shadows of twilight settling in. The bars were crumpled and broken, leaning against a wall that looked as though it had been punched repeatedly by a battering ram. Nailed to the wall at regular intervals were short, thin chains. At the end of each chain was a small, metal ring, with several smaller rings hanging from it.

The cobblestone road was pockmarked with small craters. Judging by the wide mounds of dirt strewn about at random, they could tell that there had been many, many more craters that had been far worse, and possibly deeper.

A line of soldiers barred the way in place of the crumpled gate. Their armor was dented and torn in a myriad of places. Many carried swords; chipped, broken, and looking largely useless. All of them had a bludgeon hanging from their belts, whether it be a hammer, club, or mace. And attached to each of their belts was a ring of rings. Each soldier wore an expression of exhaustion and frustration.

Ghek cautiously approached the line of men, palms opened towards them in an effort to show he meant no harm. Many of them tightened their grip on their weapons, regardless. "My name is Ghek" he explained. "I am a Rider. And this is my partner, Sharp." None of the soldiers relaxed. Couldn't they see the gedwëy ignasia on his right palm?

There was an indignant huff from Sharp. _Ya deaf? He said he's a Rider. Cool it with the aggression!_

"Sharp!" Ghek hissed. Rider or no, he was still a kull: A towering beast in the eyes of most humans. A fight with these people would do nothing but hurt the already fragile relations between urgals and the other races.

The soldiers continued to stare him down, weapons ready. Finally, one of the soldiers signaled for the others to lower their weapons. If he was their captain, there was nothing to visually signify him as such. "How did you get here?" he said, with a glance towards Sharp. "Don't tell me you flew."

"No," Ghek replied with a shake of his head. "We walked."

"And nothing attacked you?"

"No."

"Lucky." The captain stepped back, motioning for the others to make way for the Rider and dragon. "Get inside."

"What happened here?" Ghek said, finally lowering his hands. "Who attacked you?"

"Ghosts," came the reply of a soldier, his eyes darting away every so often.

Ghek looked briefly to his companion, who was just as incredulous as he. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Ghosts!" the man insisted as he stepped forward, clearly agitated. "Poltergeists, spirits, _souls of the dead_! Surely, even the urgals know of such things?!"

"Calm down," said the captain, placing a hand on the man's shoulder and pulling him back. Nodding towards the entrance of the city, the captain urged Ghek and Sharp inside.

The Rider and dragon glanced at each other once more before walking through. As the duo walked past, the captain said, "If you hear ringing, brace yourself. That sword isn't going to help you." Ghek thanked the man for his advice, and continued onward with Sharp at his side.

Just within the city's walls were piles of debris. A small crowd of people, of all ages and classes, worked to collect any metal they could. Pots, hinges, nails...nothing seemed too small. Each person was covered in bandages and bruises, injured in some way. Countless arms were in slings. Several moved with noticeable limps. Limbs were missing, either in part, or entirely. They ignored the kull and dragon entirely, too tired and too engrossed in their work to pay them any mind. Under different circumstances, Ghek would have found it refreshing to not have others flinch at his presence.

They continued to walk through the city, towards the modestly-sized castle seen just over what few rooftops remained. Despite the quickly approaching night, not a single lamp or torch was lit. Here and there were handfuls of people working to restore what they could with their makeshift tools. Ghek's heart ached. There was not a single person that did not look worn down and tired. Not one child that looked as though they weren't on the brink of tears. He heard no voices, only the sounds of reconstruction.

Just like the soldiers outside, each person had a metal hoop tied to their clothing, with more rings attached to it. Ropes were strung along poles and between what few buildings remained. At regular intervals were more of the metal rings. As they passed close to a cluster, Ghek reached towards the rings with his mind in an attempt to feel if they had been enchanted in some way. He felt no magic at all.

_ Ghosts, huh? _said Sharp. _I guess a sword __**wouldn't**__ work, would it?_

_ Neither will these rings,_ Ghek replied through their mental link,_ unless these particular spirits hate the sound of metal on metal._

_ How do you kill a ghost, anyway? Magic? You'd think the elders would make sure we learned about that kind of thing. Made damn sure we knew how to take out a shade, and you never see any of those around._

_ You don't 'kill' a ghost so much as appeal to it,_ said Ghek._ And as far as I understand, dealings with the dead are something we Riders don't do. Leave it to the shamans and other holy peoples, as it should be. Still... _Ghek looked around him at the ruins of the waterside city. He'd always believed that ghosts only changed one's luck or cause illnesses. He'd never heard of them causing such devastation to a city. He'd thought it impossible because they were incorporeal. _What do you think they've done to anger the dead so?_

_We could ask the ghosts? _Sharp suggested.

_ We could have a __**shaman**__ ask on our behalf,_ Ghek corrected.

_I don't see why we can't just ask, ourselves._

_ Because it isn't our place._

_ What's the point of this whole Rider business, then? _said Sharp, mildly irritated.

_To deal with matters that concern the whole of Alagaësia. The spiritual realm is __**beyond**__ Alagaësia, and therefore outside our jurisdiction._

Sharp blinked at his Rider. ..._And that's why we can't ask a bunch of dead guys why they wrecked a city?_

_ Sharp..._

_ I mean, we're just __asking____a question._

Ghek gave an exasperated grunt and blocked out their mental connection. It wasn't a topic he felt having a debate with the dragon over. Consulting with the dead was simply not done by anyone other than holy men and women. Being a Rider did not make him holy, and so he believed that speaking with these ghosts was not only dangerous, it was _wrong_.

The pair continued on in forced silence until they reached the crumbling staircase of Dauth's castle. A large, deep impact took up almost the entire base of the stairs. Ghek wondered again what they had done to invoke such wrath. As he proceeded up the side of the stairway that had been left intact, he realized Sharp had stopped following him. Ghek turned to face him. A part of him knew this was going to be an issue.

The dragon stood perfectly still, staring through the open doors of the castle. _Kinda...tiny, ain't it?_

_You'll be fine, _Ghek said, trying his best to comfort his partner._ You handled Tronjheim without any problems in the slightest._

_ This is a __**lot**__ smaller than Tronjheim..._

_ You'll be fine, _Ghek repeated. As soon as the words were thought, tiny fragments of the door's archway came loose. The dust landed harmlessly on the shoulders of the two men guarding the doors. They casually brushed themselves off before returning to attention.

Sharp's eyes went wide. _I'm not going in there,_ he said, slowly shrinking back.

"And you don't have to," Ghek spoke aloud, struggling to keep himself calm against Sharp's rapidly increasing panic. Scenarios horrible, impossible, and ridiculous, flashed through Sharp's mind, leaving afterimages in Ghek's. It was painfully clear that Sharp was _**not**_ ready to tackle his fear at this magnitude. Ghek slowed his speech, hoping that would somehow help to calm the dragon. "Stay out here in the wide, open air. You're safe out here. Deep breaths."

_I - -ot afraid_. The dragon's words were cut out by the static of irrational fear. _- - not go- - there._

Ghek reached a hand out to calm the terrified dragon, only for him to yank himself away. _What are you, a hatchling?!_ Sharp snapped._ You don't need me for everything!_

And with that, Sharp clumsily took to the sky. Ghek rubbed his aching head as he watched the dragon climb higher and higher. _Oh, well, _he thought to himself. _At least Tronjheim was a triumph._

A groan from the guards behind him told him that Sharp had shouted into their minds as well. Possibly in an attempt to shift attention and embarrassment onto Ghek, rather than himself. "I'm sorry," said Ghek as he turned back towards the guards. He held up his right hand, showing them his gedwëy ignasia. "I am a Rider. May I come in?" One of the guards waved him in as he gently pressed against a spot just above his eye, hoping to alleviate the headache brought on by Sharp's mental shout. Apologizing again for the disturbance, Ghek climbed the broken stairway and entered the castle.

People sat lined the entrance hall, looking just as tired and defeated as those outside. Their clothing showed that they hailed from varying social classes. However, each garment was just as ragged and dirty as the next. Healers tended to the wounds and dressings of those in the line, being anything but generous with the little medicines and salves present.

Ghek stared at them, pity evident in his face. After a moment, he walked up to one of the healers. Bending slightly, he said, "Excuse me," and gently tapped her shoulder.

The woman turned, irritation clear on her face. She then flinched and gasped as she realized what stood before her, and her irritation was replaced by fear. Until then, the group had ignored him entirely. Now they tensed, some in fear, others with marked hostility.

This behavior was all too familiar to the urgalan Rider. He backed away slightly, showing them his palms. "I want to help," he said softly. "Please."

After glancing about at the others, the healer woman gave a few quick, fearful nods. Ghek quickly lost track of time as he worked alongside the healers, cleaning wounds and replacing bandages. He even handed over the entirety of the medicinal plants that he carried with him, for they needed it far more than he. There were many in the line that were skeptical of accepting his assistance. Some even outright refused it. He took no offense, and did what he was allowed.

"You there!" The command was so sudden that Ghek could not help but to jump. The source of the voice was a slender, middle-aged man sporting a fancy robe and a fancier mustache. The man seemed bewildered as he pointed at the kull. "How did you get here, and where did you come from?"

The way the man stared at and questioned him made Ghek feel as though he had something wrong. "From Lithgow. I walked."

The man gave a halfhearted laugh. "Do not lie to me, urgal."

"I'm telling the truth," said Ghek, mildly annoyed. "My dragon and I-"

The man's eyes widened slightly. "Dragon? Are you a Rider?" Ghek gave a sharp nod, showing him the mark on his palm. The man twisted the edge of his dark, shining mustache. "My apologies," he said, his tone noticeably different from before. "Right this way."

The man spun and began walking down the dimly-lit hall. Ghek rose and began to follow him, only to feel a tug at the back of his tunic. The healer woman stared up at him, with not quite as much fear as before. Her mouth worked to say something, but no words left her lips. Instead, she nervously bowed before the Rider. Ghek returned the gesture. "Thank you for letting me help."

As Ghek followed mustachioed man, he could not help but notice how empty the castle seemed, both of people and of furnishings. The cobblestone floor was crushed in a number of places. The support beams along the walls and in the doorways looked to be a recent and haphazard addition.

As they reached the end of the hall, Ghek began to hear a multitude of voices. Most were moans of agony and pained crying. Underneath that, though, he heard and felt the soft chanting of magicians.

The hall opened into a larger one lined with tables and benches. A large, yet simple throne sat at its end. The room was meant for meetings and dining, but at that moment, it served a very different purpose.

Upon each table lie a body, perhaps only half of them alive. Most of them had wounds, terrible and infected. Others had limbs that had clearly been crushed. Blood loss and illness discolored their skin. At a glance, it was evident that several those that lived were beyond help. Despite this, magicians stood beside the worst of them, chanting desperately to slow the bleeding of one, or remove infection in another. Those that did not possess magic helped in other ways. They darted between the tables, exchanging dirty bandages for fresh ones, and supplying fresh buckets of hot water.

Towards the rear of the room stood a cluster of people in the midst of performing an amputation. A woman held the patient's head and chanted, keeping him in a peaceful sleep as they worked. Ghek could sense that most, if not all of those involved were magicians. The ancient and magical words of one held far more power than the others. However, as they spoke over each other, he could not discern which of them it was. Ghek wondered how many amputations they had performed that day, if any others. Much of the group wore the fine clothing of nobles, though they had been spattered in mess from the procedure.

The middle-aged escort paused some distance from this group, prompting Ghek to stop as well. The group paid them no mind, focused as they were on their work. Ghek waited patiently behind the mustachioed man as the group completed their task. Around the room were numerous, unlit sconces. Looking towards the ceiling, Ghek saw an unlit chandelier, as well. The only light in the dim room came from those who held lanterns over their companions as they worked. He wondered at the scarcity of light throughout the city, but remained silent. Dauth was in ruins; perhaps they simply could not afford it.

A member of the group suddenly stumbled backwards; a tall, thin man, in his mid twenties at the most. There was a collection of gasps and cries of dismay. Ghek's escort darted forward, catching him before he could fall. In the dim light of the lanterns the young man's face looked pale, and his blue eyes were glossy and unfocused. The Rider knew that look: The magician had overexerted himself.

Ghek stepped forward and helped his escort lower the man to the floor. The man breathed in a heavy, uneven manner. The escort squeezed the man's hand. "My Lord? Lord Kharlan, can you hear me?" The man muttered something unintelligible.

Ghek quickly scanned the dim room. "Is there any fruit or bread available?" he said to no one in particular. A nearby man jolted into action, dropping his buckets and spilling water onto the floor. He dashed off, returning moments later with a loaf of stale bread.

The escort snatched the bread away from him, wrinkling his nose as he realized its quality. With a disapproving snort, he removed the flask from his belt and poured a bit of wine onto the loaf. Ghek propped Kharlan up, and his escort pressed the softened bread against his lips. The dazed magician did not respond. Determined, the escort pinched off a piece of the moistened bread. He gently pried the dazed lord's mouth open and forced the tiny morsel in. After a long moment Kharlan swallowed, and the escort placed another piece into his mouth.

The healers Kharlan had been working with looked on with worried expressions, anxiously waiting for him to recover. Their patient groaned as he began to regain consciousness. The escort glared at them. "Are you going to let his efforts be wasted?!" he snapped. "Finish!" The group quickly returned to their task, placing the amputee back into a deep slumber.

Kharlan's breathing softened and eventually became regular. His eyes focused on Ghek's escort. "Tristian...?" he murmured so softly that Ghek barely made out the name. The escort, Tristian, only shushed him and offered him another bit of bread. Kharlan accepted, then shakily pushed himself into a sitting position. With a trembling hand he took the rest of the loaf and began eating. Slowly at first, and then tearing into it as though starved.

Ghek waited until the nobleman had finished before asking, "How are you feeling?"

"I..." Kharlan began, trailing off. He swayed. His eyes scanned the room, not truly seeing anything. The Rider knew from personal experience that it would be a while before he returned to them in full. But Kharlan had responded to him, and that was a good start. "I need air," he said finally.

Ghek helped Lord Kharlan to his feet, and Tristian led them into the courtyard. Night had settled in in full. The only light came from the stars and waning moon, which was partially obscured by the passing clouds. Kharlan stumbled multiple times, but Ghek held him upright. The Rider could have easily carried the man, for he was worryingly light, but he didn't want to offend Kharlan in doing so.

Tristian pointed to a short, stone bench; the only one that wasn't broken as far as Ghek could see. The Rider helped the dazed nobleman to sit, then took a seat beside him. Tristian sat on the other side of Kharlan, offering him his flask. Kharlan stared at it numbly. Tristian moved the flask closer and closer until it brushed against Kharlan's lips.

The man flinched as though being startled awake. It seemed to take him a moment to realize what was going on and finally accept the beverage. After a few, brief sips, Kharlan returned the flask. With a groan, he rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his long, tawny hair. Resting his elbows on his knees, Kharlan rested his head in one hand. He gave Ghek a sidelong look. "Who...did you say you were, again?"

Tristian spoke for him. "Lord Kharlan, this is Ghek. A Dragon Rider who claims to have _walked_ here." The disbelief was evident in his tone.

Kharlan gave a slow nod. "Walks are nice..."

It was quite obvious to Ghek that the man was not yet aware enough to grasp the situation. He directed his words at Tristian. "He needs rest. We should get him to a bed."

Tristian gave a snort. "A shame his bed was trampled."

The Rider raised a brow. "Trampled?"

The mustachioed gentleman nodded. "By the same creatures that plague our precious city. Quick, vicious, heavy things."

Ghek tensed. "They're still here?"

Kharlan gave a slight shrug, mumbling, "Here. There. Somewhere."

"What he means," said Tristian, "is that they are invisible."

"Almost," Kharlan corrected.

"Almost," Tristian agreed. "The air distorts around them, but only in shadow."

"Which explains why you keep it so dark," said Ghek, glancing about the almost pitch-black courtyard. He returned his attention to Tristian. "Have you sent word out for assistance? I heard nothing about any of this in Lithgow."

Tristian nodded, twisting the tip of his glorious mustache. "Not a single messenger has returned to us, be it bird or man. Not a single ship drifts by. No one arrives at our gates. We've seen not a soul in _two weeks_. Which is why I find it amazing that you _walked_ here, from Lithgow, no less, and without a scratch on you!"

Ghek opened to mouth to speak. "Wait," said Lord Kharlan, staring tiredly at Ghek. "You walked here?" The Rider forgave the man for needing the information repeated, being as out of sorts as he was. Ghek simply nodded in response. "Where is your dragon? I thought you were a Dragon Rider?"

_Great question,_ Ghek thought to himself. He scanned the starlit sky for the shadowy outline of his bound companion.Seeing nothing, he instead relied upon the threads of magic that bound them together, and found him dozing upon the roof of the castle almost immediately. "Sleeping," he told them. "It was quite the hike."

"If the only ones to reach us in so long are a Rider and dragon," Kharlan began, "there are only two explanations: Either the creatures have finally left us, or they fear dragons. Or urgals." The man shut his eyes and gave a sleepy grin. "Or both! All of it!"

The odd giggle that followed was enough to convince them that Lord Kharlan needed sleep, not 'air' as he so claimed. And so, despite his repeated insistence that he was fine, minutes later saw Ghek and Tristian lying the exhausted lord onto a mattress on the floor of the servants' quarters. It was seemingly the only room untouched by the invisible creatures.

As they draped a blanket over him, Kharlan noticed Ghek's palm. He stared at it curiously. "Rider...? We already sent Elizabeth..." Ghek gave a small, pitying frown. Tristian gently shushed the sleepy lord. The man removed his coat, revealing that he, too, had possibly been helping in the meeting hall. Tristian folded the coat and placed it underneath Kharlan's head, who immediately drifted off. Ghek and Tristian continued watching him for some time, ensuring that he was only sleeping.

Eventually Ghek stood to stretch his legs. As he did so, his horns became tangled in the string of rings that had been bolted to the wall. The rings clattered against each other as he freed himself, filling the room with a dull chime. Tristian leapt to his feet and stilled the rings, glaring at the Rider. "Do you _want_ to cause a panic?" he whispered.

"It wasn't on purpose," Ghek said, returning the glare. "And what are these for?"

Tristian huffed and rolled his eyes, slowly removing his hands from the rings. "Alarms. Metal seems to resonate with the creatures. As heavy as they are, they're capable of moving as silently as mice. The rings help to track their movements and prevent surprise attacks." The man sighed. "Not that it matters. If you hear the ringing, it is already too late to hide."

Tristian looked down as his master. The noise had not disturbed his rest in the slightest. Tristian's nose wrinkled in disgust as he noticed that Kharlan's cheek and neck were still lightly spattered with gore from the amputee. Kneeling beside Kharlan, he snapped his fingers and pointed towards the doorway. "Boy. Bring me a bucket of water and a cloth. Preferably both _warm_ and _clean_."

Ghek was stunned that Tristian would speak to him in such a manner. He opened his mouth, intending to tell the man to watch his tone or else he'd lose that magnificent nose hair. However, he stopped when he heard a youthful voice whisper, as though to itself, "Why not Esmeralda?" A pause. "I know it's a duck, but how else would you do it?"

Ghek squinted towards the direction of the voice. In the doorway sat a child draped in a blanket, only his face exposed. Though he could not make out any features, Ghek felt a powerful wave of déjà vu. He wondered when the boy had gotten there. And more importantly, what in the world was he talking about? And to whom?

Tristian snapped his fingers again. "Do not make me repeat myself, boy," he said angrily.

The boy's response was oddly cheerful. "'Kay!" He stood and shook the blanket from himself, revealing a mane of golden, crinkled hair. He then skipped off, his hair flapping with each step.

The boy's actions amidst so much gloom was absurd, yet refreshing. "It would be in your best interest to ignore that child and his foolishness," whispered Tristian, as to not wake the sleeping Kharlan.

The boy returned with the water and cloth, humming a cheery tune. As he sat the items near Tristian, then began skipping back towards the exit. It was then that Ghek realized who the boy resembled. _You must be Tobias,_ he thought to himself.

The boy stopped so abruptly that Ghek wondered if he had somehow heard him. Instead of turning to face him, Tobias tilted his head back and leaned backward until he faced him. His nearly upside-down face was eerily blank. "You're big," he said in a flat, even tone.

"Yes. Yes, I am," Ghek replied, masking his apprehension. The boy unnerved him far more than he wanted to admit. Something about those large, brown eyes that seemed to bore into his soul. Something about them was wrong. Was _off._

Tobias's eyes narrowed. "Why?" His tone was accusatory.

"Do not indulge him," Tristian warned, clearly not caring if the boy heard him or not.

"Because I am a kull," Ghek told Tobias. Tristian threw his hands up in frustration. Tobias stared unblinking at the Rider, still holding that awkward position. He remained silent for so long that Ghek began to wonder if, somehow, that was the wrong answer.

Finally, the boy said, "What's that?"

"_Don't_," said Tristian, sternly.

Ghek decided to keep it short and simple. "A kull is a large urgal." Tristian gave an irritated sigh.

"Oh," said Tobias. In a swift, smooth motion, he straightened himself and spun to face Ghek. He grinned widely, so much so that his eyes narrowed into slits. "I'm a Toby!" he announced. Tristian hissed sharply, motioning for him to keep his voice down.

Ghek raised a brow at the strange boy. "I...see," he said slowly, somewhat relieved Tobias was cheery once more. Deciding to play along, he added, "You look very much like an Elizabeth."

Tobias's expression was suddenly serious again. "We don't play that game anymore," he snapped.

Ghek apologized out of reflex more than anything. "Ignore him," said Tristian.

"Oh, okay," said Tobias, his expression softening.

"No," said Tristian, clearly exasperated, "I was speaking to _him_. And isn't there something you should be doing?"

"Depends. Can I borrow your duck?"

"What? I don't have a-" Tristian stopped himself and pinched the bridge of his nose. He pointed towards the door. "Leave. Now."

Tobias sighed and shrugged. "Alright," he said as he turned to leave. "But it won't work without a duck. ...Maybe a gopher..."

Ghek waited until the strange, little boy had left the room before leaning closer to Tristian. "Is he always that way?" he whispered.

"Yes," said Tristian through gritted teeth. "Which is why I asked you to _**ignore him**_."


End file.
